Delicate
by kthxbai0.o
Summary: Annabeth is known as the tough girl would can beat anyone up in a second. But, what they don't know is the art that she uses to calm and relax herself from the harsh everyday life and the stress of the Titan War coming on. And she wants to keep that art a secret.
1. Secret

**Secret**

**Annabeth's POV**

The door slammed shut behind me as I leaned against the cool powder blue wall, gasping for breath. I tilted my head up at the florescent lights and closed my stormy eyes. It was a race every day. Every day it was a challenge to get inside unnoticed. Even inside it was a challenge to stay hidden. Absolutely NO ONE could see me in here. Ever.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket to check the time. It was five ten. I was twenty minutes early, as usual. I hoisted my large duffel bag over my shoulder and sighed as I pushed the bathroom door open. I got down on my knees and scanned under the stalls for feet. There weren't any. I pulled open the handicapped stall and dug into my bag for my outfit. Black leotard. Pale tights. Point shoes. Ballet flats. Legwarmers. Hair ties. Bobby pins. They were all there as usual. I stripped down to my black sports bra and underwear before pulling on the tights and leotard. Sticking the pins in my mouth, I propped up my hand mirror against the stall and quickly but carefully whipped my hair up into a perfect bun before securing it with several pins and half a can of hairspray. Before leaving I jammed the legwarmers on and placed my point slippers back into the bag. I took a deep breath and silently prayed to Athena to not let anyone see me.

During the school year, this was my life; Wake up. Go to school. Eat. Dance. Do homework. Repeat. I started ballet when I was in seventh grade, the first year I was home with my "family". I soon learned that I needed a hobby. I thought of ballet. It was unsuspecting of a girl like me and the tinkling classical music was relaxing. It took my mind off of the war to come and all the stress that came free from being a demigod. There were so many girls who were better than me because they had been dancing since they were three and not killing monsters. I caught up fast, though, and soon, I was one of the best in the class. Now, at fifteen, I am still the best, but afraid to show my talent. Not that I'm afraid of bullies or anything. But I'm really not the type of girl you would see dancing so I try to keep my dancing to myself. Dancing is such a delicate art and I'm kind of like a bull in a china shop. My goal is to get on to the Dancers United competition team, where only the best of the best are allowed.

I stood outside my studio as the five year olds finished their jazz class and practiced my positions silently. I opened my eyes just in time to see two girls from my school clomping down the hall in tap shoes. They were facing each other and laughing. "Jane, what a riot!" the taller one giggled as the other girl laughed manically. The jazz class let out just in time and I pushed my way through the crowd and into the studio just before they turned their heads my way. "Annabeth, one of my star students, you are here very early." my instructor, Ms. Princeton droned as she looked at the clock. I was ten minutes early. "Oh, I just thought I'd get in some extra practice time." I lied smoothly. Ms. Princeton nodded her head and sat down at her small foldable chair she had set up in the back corner of the room. I sighed with relief and sank down to the shiny wooden floor to stretch. I easily slid down in a middle split before stretching out my right and left leg splits and my arms and neck. I slipped on my ballet flats and began practicing my balançoires on the bars. As the rest of the class streamed in, they watched me quizzically as I practiced. I said nothing to them. After fifteen minutes, practice started and everyone was lined up and ready. As the soft music swelled in my ears I felt my body relax and all of my stress melt away. I started thinking about Percy and how I really started to like him as my body swam through the positions.

We practiced on the bar for an hour before getting our point shoes on and tip-toeing around the floor. I gracefully relevé-d across the floor as the other students struggled. The only girl who wasn't having any trouble at all was Elise. Elise was the star student. She knew every move and how to do it perfectly, she always looked sleek and cool, and she was better than me. She had been dancing since she was two years old and she could join any dance team if she wanted. "I want to stay local and get better before trying out for anything." she always answered when she was asked why she was here. _Get better?_ I always thought, _How can she get any better?_ But she did. Every week she had a new move down and under, and amazed everyone. In our competitions, she was always the star, me the back up. I hated being second. Two is the worst number in the whole world. It's one or nothing for me. After Ms. Princeton called the practice at eight o'clock, she patted her curly hair into place as she told us to gather around.

"Our next competition will be far away." she announced, "This competition is against Dancers United so I need my best students to compete. I can choose only three." Confused and annoyed whispers swept across the room of twelve girls. "Shhh," Ms. Princeton silenced, "The competition is in Manhattan. Manhattan, New York. It is very far from our home in San Francisco so I need you to think this over and talk to your parents about it. If you decide that you wish to come, you will try out in front of me and your fellow classmates on Monday with this routine." She handed out sheets of papers with moves on it to all of us. My paper was crumpled as I scanned it. "You should know that I will have no dilly dallying when we get to New York. You will practice, compete, win, and then go home. Do you understand?" A muffled yes was emitted from the crowd. "Dismissed." she finished before we packed up our stuff.

"Of course I'm doing it." Elise was scoffing at another girl, "You even considered me sitting on my lazy ass at home? Pfft!" I wanted to go desperately. Not for the dancing as much as the trip because there was a special someone who lived in Manhattan. And his name was Percy Jackson. But the voice of Ms. Princeton warned me, "I will have no dilly dallying." and I reconsidered. I straightened myself and smiled. I wouldn't call seeing Percy dilly dallying. Maybe taking a break and meeting up. What was the worst that could happen?


	2. Practice, Compete, Win

**Disc****laimer: I do not own the characters Annabeth or Percy.**

**Practice, Compete, Win**

**Annabeth's POV**

_Monday, April 5__th_

_Dear Diary,_

_Today I am going to try out for the competition in Manhattan. I want to go so desperately because I need to see Percy. I miss him so much and I'm starting to like him more than a friend. I have been practicing my butt off and I will go and see him. As long as he doesn't see me dancing, I'll be fine. I know he likes me for my badass monster fighting skills and not for any ballet skills I might have._

_~ANNABETH_

"Annabeth Chase." Ms. Princeton called me in, "You may begin when you are ready." I set my feet into first position and hung my arms in an oval so my finger tips just touched. The music began to play and I gracefully swept and dove across the clear floor. I made sure my toes were pointed, my chest was up, and that my arms flowed with the music. The music slowly tinkled to a stop and I did a small curtsy before rushing to get my point shoes on. As I did, I cautiously watched as Ms. Princeton scribbled onto her clipboard. Was she writing how amazing I was? Or maybe she was jotting down any minor mistake I made that could possibly prevent me from going to New York? I hoped not. Once my shoes were on and the music started to play, I gently tip-toed around on the floor. As the music got to its climax and the strings furiously played and the pianos keys were pounding, I began to spin. Faster and faster, I made sure that I pulled my weight up and clenched my butt. When I knew I couldn't do another spin, I slowed down and posed in my final position. Panting hard, I bowed and slung my shoes over my shoulder as I exited the room.

When I showed up to the next practice, I was thrilled to see my name on the board of who had been chosen to compete. I was going along with a girl named Brooke and obviously, Elise. "You girls know that I need you to win." Ms. Princeton announced again, "If I see you do anything other than sleep, eat, or dance while on this trip, you will immediately be off the team and banned from the studio. Am I clear?" All of our eyes as wide as saucers, we nodded. "Good. I will be handing out your routines today. I want you to practice at home as well as in the studio. We leave in three days." For those three days, I practiced like hell. By the day we were leaving, I could perform my routines backwards, on a tightrope, with an ice cube down my back; if I was asked. While on the plane, I rehearsed and rehearsed my routines in my head, visualizing myself winning the whole competition. I stretched out my whole body and dreamt about winning the whole way to Manhattan.

The hotel room had four beds and two bathrooms complete with a balcony and multiple flat screen TVs. There were two beds to a room and one bathroom in each room. It reminded me of the Lotus Casino rooms. Before any of us had the chance to pick a bed, Ms. Princeton assigned us where we would sleep. "Annabeth and Elise in this room." she patted one door, "And Brooke and I will stay in this room." she patted the other door. As soon as we unpacked and got settled, Ms. Princeton sent us straight off to bed. "The competition is tomorrow and I need all of you fully rested." she established. No one pointed out that it was only eight o'clock.

I woke up to the most horrifying sound known to man, and especially to woman. "_I want to go so desperately because I need to see Percy. I miss him so much and I'm starting to like him more than a friend."_ My eyes shot open to see Elise laying down on her bed with my diary in her lap. "Give me that!" I grabbed for it but she stood on her bed and held it up high. "Aww, what's little dancer Annabeth gonna do?" Elise taunted and glared at me with amusement tinted in her eyes. I stared her down and almost reached for my knife that I had hid under my mattress. "That is mine." I told her, "It's for me to see only. Now give it back and we won't have any trouble." I didn't want her to read the rest of the entry because it enclosed demigod information. I silently prayed and stepped toward her holding out my hand for her to place the diary in. Elise held the diary high and looked like she was considering giving it back. "So, who's this Percy Jackson and why can't he especially see you dancing?" she inquired, "Are you ashamed of being a dancer? Is this too **delicate** for you? Maybe you can play football instead." That was it, suggesting that any dancer play football is an insult at its worst.

I jumped onto the bed that Elise was on and grabbed for my diary. "Haha, you're too short, aren't you, Annie Beth?" My eyes turned into a fire blazing so hot that I was surprised they didn't shoot flames. "You bitch!" I screamed at her and judo-flipped her over so she was lying down on her bed. As she stared at the ceiling in shock, I took my diary back and stashed it with my knife as she turned away. "What, where, how?" she stammered, "When did you learn to do that?" I sighed and flipped my hair over my shoulder. "I've had practice." was all I responded before heading into the bathroom to get ready. I took a hot half hour shower and straightened my hair so it would be easier to style and bun. Soon, we were off to the competition.

My costume was a beautiful light blue that flowed and had sparkles all over the corset. The tutu that came with it drooped slightly and it even came with ribbons to tie to my shoes and in my hair. I sat in front of the stained mirror, taking deep breaths. The bulbs around the mirror flickered and the counter was covered in makeup stains. Although every other dancer was decked out in eyeliner and powder, I wore little makeup. My eyes were clear and my face shone, the only makeup I wore was blood red lipstick. I was actually nervous, for the dances? Hell, no. I was scared because I was worried that I wouldn't have enough time in between dances to visit Percy. I had planned to go straight after my first performance to see Percy. I calculated the time it would take to get there, the prices of the tickets for the bus, and had found the shortest routes. I imagined myself hugging him and breathing in his salty scent. I snapped out of my daydream and went over my routine again. "Now, we have Ms. Chase performing _The Wave_ as number 82." the loudspeaker called. I ripped off my legwarmers and grazed out into the center of the stage. A single beam of light shone on me and reflected off the sparkles on my costume. The enchanting music began and I got onto point by standing on my tip-toes. I flew through my routine and did my signature thirty spins in a row before I spotted him. I was on one foot and was in my needle when Percy's face peeked out of the crowd. I gasped and fell off point and onto my butt.


	3. The Curtain Closes

**The Curtain Closes**

**Annabeth's POV**

The music stopped too abruptly. I didn't even have the chance to get up and finish before my routine was stopped. I shuffled off the stage, trying hard not to cry. Elise was smirking beside me. "Did you like my little surprise, Annabeth?" she chirped. I turned to her with swollen eyes, "What?" was all I could squeak. "I decided to invite your little boyfriend to see you perform. I hope you don't mind." My throat closed and I looked at her with helplessness. "How?" I breathed as a single tear slid down my face. "I saw his name in your diary and with a little help from a phone book, he's here today." I started to cry, "How could you?" I yelled, "You knew what would happen don't even try to play dumb!" Before she could respond, I ran out so no one else could see me cry.

"It's alright, Annabeth." Brooke tried to reassure me, "You still have your other routine." We were back in the dressing room and Brooke was attempting to comfort me. Her white blond hair fell in wisps around her face from the lack of hairspray and she sat in yoga pants and a dance tee, her costume perched on her bed. "I still have some time before my next performance." she offered, "We can sabotage her routine." I shook my head. "It's not worth it." I sighed, "It'll take up too much time." Brooke stood up and I watched as her pale blue eyes sparkled with ideas. "It really doesn't have to take much time at all." I watched with no words as Brooke set to work. She took a can of pepper spray and hairspray and switched the labels. Then, she took itching powder and puffed some into Elise's costume and shoes. Finally, she grabbed some olive oil from the kitchen and rubbed some on the bottom of Elise's shoes. "You're a genius!" I laughed, "Oh, and why do you have itching power in your dance bag?" She shrugged, "For reasons like this. Now all you have to do is rock your next routine beyond rock-ability. Got it?" I smiled and hugged her, "Got it. You're the best." I told her before skipping off to get ready for my next routine.

An hour later, I was in the same spot I was in before my first routine. Hello again, stained mirror. I saw Elise's reflection as she crept up behind me. "Humph," she grunted, "I thought you would've been halfway home before now, Annie Beth." I stood up and looked her in the eyes. "Do you want to be judo flipped again, because I will happily do it?" Elise backed away slightly before regaining her posture and tugging at her tights. "Up again we have Ms. Chase performing _Twisted _as number 82." I stepped away from Elise and smiled at the sight of her itching her outfit. I heard the intrigued whispers of the crowd buzz at my name. They only wanted to see if I would fall again. When I walked onto the dark stage, I felt all eyes on me, hopeful for another fall. I wouldn't let that happen. I easily and perfectly went through my routine, not a pointed toe out of line. At the end, I got a huge round of applause as I curtseyed. "Break a leg." I whispered to Elise as her name was called. At this point she was itching furiously. It was a comedy watching her itch between arm movements and her feet twitch and rub against the floor. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Elise slipped from the oil and landed not on her butt, but on her face from which she stood up and landed on her butt. I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Laughter erupted from the crowd as Elise slid off of the stage and into the crowd. I had to rush back to the dressing room because I wouldn't have been able to look at her without saying something stupid.

In the award ceremony, I placed third for my first performance and first for my second. Elise on the other hand, placed second for her first and didn't even place for her second. After the awards were handed out and we were back in the hotel, I gently packed my glass trophies with bubble wrap and newspaper. Brooke was napping on the couch after placing first and second and Elise was sobbing into her pillow. Then, there was a knock on the door. In sweats and a tee shirt, I opened the door to see Percy. "Annabeth!" he exclaimed as he hugged me. I hugged back, "I'm glad to see you but this is kind of awkward." Percy nodded, "Yeah, I didn't know you danced. You were great." I blushed, "Thanks. It's just weird because I'm not the kind of girl who dances." Percy laughed, "I would've never known. You danced like you have been doing this your whole life! Hey, wanna come back to my place and celebrate?" I sighed and shook my head, "I'm gonna have to pass you up on that offer. I've got to stay with my team." Just then Ms. Princeton stalked in from the kitchen, "Who is this?" she barked. I was the first to answer, "This is my friend Percy from camp." Ms. Princeton glared at the both of us, "I said no dilly dallying. You were also not allowed to invite guests over."

"No, I didn't invite him-" I argued. "I will have none of this!" Ms. Princeton gawked, "I said my rules and you disobeyed them! Annabeth Chase, you are off this team! You are no dancer!" I stood in shock before stomping into my room. I put my boots on and jammed my knife into my boots. I slung my bags over my shoulders and put my diary back in my tote. I slapped Elise in the face and yelled at her, "You deserve worse you failed abortion!" I then hugged Brooke and wished her good luck in dance. "You know what Ms. Princeton," I announced while taking out my knife, "I am no dancer, your rules suck ass, and I'm better off stabbing things to death. See you never bitch!" I whipped out my middle finger and I stalked out of the room with it held high in her direction. "You sure you don't wanna dance anymore?" Percy inquired as we stepped onto the next bus to his apartment. "Nah," I blew it off, "Dancing, specifically ballet, really isn't for me. I'll find a new hobby like softball or rock climbing or something." Percy laughed, "Just try not to step on the face of your rock climbing buddies, your sneakers taste pretty awful." And with that, we laughed all the way back to his apartment and I realized for real that I needed a hobby that defined _me_ all along.


End file.
